Play ball! Portland makes Top 10 of minor league cities

Portland once again made it into SmartAsset's top 10 rankings of the best minor league baseball cities or towns, ranking sixth out of 159 communities analyzed in 2017 by the online financial technology company.

Its No. 6 ranking remained the same as in 2016. SmartAsset reported that there were six repeat performances in the top 10 this year, with Nashville Sounds (1), Round Rock Express (2), Charleston RiverDogs (4), Charlotte Knights (7) and Iowa Cubs (9) joining the Portland Sea Dogs in retaining spots in the top 10 rankings. Rounding out this year's top 10 list are Durham, N.C., (3); Geneva, Ill. (5); Omaha, Neb. (8); and Frederick, Md. (10).

Portland scored the high marks for its relatively high 5,300 average attendance per game at Hadlock Field and for being "one of the best spots to grab a beer or a bite to eat before or after the game."

"Portland has about 30 restaurants, bars and entertainment establishments per 10,000 residents, the highest rate in the top 10," SmartAsset reported in its fourth-annual ranking of best minor league cities or towns.

To arrive at its rankings, SmartAsset analyzed data on the following nine metrics:

Average attendance.

Average attendance as a percent of maximum capacity.

Winning percentage for 2017 season.

Minor league class: There are six minor league classes (Triple-A, Double-A, High Class A, Low Class A, Class A Short, Rookie). Cities or towns with higher class teams received a better score.

Violent crime rate: The number of violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Data comes from the 2015 and 2014 FBI Uniform Crime Reporting database

Property crime rate: The number of property crimes per 100,000 residents. Data comes from the 2015 and 2014 FBI Uniform Crime Reporting database.

Income after housing: Median household income minus median housing costs. Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2015 American Community Survey.

Unemployment rate: Data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and is the unemployment rate May 2016 to June 2017.

Dining and entertainment establishments: The number of bars, restaurants and entertainment establishments per 10,000 residents.

A Class AA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, the Portland Sea Dogs finished fourth in the Eastern League this year with a 65-74 record. The Sea Dogs welcomed 356,153 fans through the turnstiles at Hadlock Field this season.